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The Pearsons
Jack Pearson
The Big Three's deceased father and Rebecca's former husband. A handyman, mechanic, general contractor, and all-around Jack of all trades, he was killed in a freak house fire almost 20 years before the start of the series. Jack's memory looms large over his family's life, as he struggled to give his unexpectedly large family the best life possible while fighting poverty and alcoholism. He had a particular affinity for his daughter Kate, who took his death the hardest of all the kids.
- Portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia
- The Alcoholic: Developed into one in the 1980s, although he appears to held it at bay enough for about ten years until the revelation that her ex-boyfriend Ben is her band's leader drives him back to the bottle.
- Black-and-White Insanity: Revealed to be a major moral failing of his as he assumed his brother Nicky deliberately murdered a child in Vietnam in what was actually an accident, and subsequently cut Nicky out of his life completely while lying to his family that he was dead until his own dying day, all because of his refusal to consider there could be nuances to morality in the world.
- Deceased Parents Are the Best: Deconstructed. Dying during such a formative period in his kids' lives seriously messed them up. They practically worship his memory, but as a result have been basically stuck in the year of his death for the last two decades. Rebecca's efforts to move on cause the kids to resent her, and their failure to grapple with Jack's flaws has caused the kids to repeat many his mistakes. Growing out of this is the Big Three's main vector of development.
- Death By Sigh Of Relief: The intentional Gut Punch used to really seal the deal that Jack is dead and pull a hard turn just as we think he's going to be okay. Jack survives the initial fire, but severe smoke inhalation puts a bad strain on his lungs, which also by extension puts a really bad strain on his heart. Out of nowhere, he suffers a "widowmaker" heart attack and codes in the hospital, with half a dozen medical staff racing in to save his life while poor Rebecca has no idea in the background that Jack's life is ebbing away. He is unable to be saved from cardiac arrest and dies moments later. It is horrendously jarring, totally unexpected, and Rebecca is rendered a widow.
- Drunk Driver: He's drunk when he decides to drive to Rebecca's first tour stop. After he gets into a fist fight with Ben, Rebecca angrily drives him home and gives him another ultimatum to clean up his act.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: After waking up in the middle of the night to find the entire house ablaze, he expertly gets the entire family (minus Kevin, who wasn't there) to safety before going back in for their dog, also managing to grab several precious family mementos before actually making it out, only dying later from the effects of smoke inhalation.
- Fatal Flaw: His jealousy over Rebecca's previous relationships is the driving force behind the strain in their marriage in the 1990s.
- Good Old Ways: Both the producers and the actor have said that Jack is rather old-fashioned, likes a solid family routine, and doesn't handle change well. With Rebecca going on tour with her old band, leaving him and the kids behind, he's having trouble accepting the new change in their lives. He's also having difficulty accepting that she wants it for herself, not because one of the band members was her ex. He ends up relapsing back into alcohol.
- Good Parents: Possibly justified, since his own father was abusive and he promised his mother that he would never turn out like his father.
- Happily Married: He and Rebecca have a loving relationship, although not without its flaws. His jealous side and alcoholism being the two major factors in their strained relationship by the time he dies.
- Killed Off for Real: Through the reveal that Rebecca is remarried in the present day, we learn Jack is long dead, and later see that Kate has possession of his ashes in an urn. The actual thing that led to his demise is not revealed for another season, and it is one hell of a way to go. Jack unknowingly leaves a malfunctioning crock pot plugged in and it shorts out, lighting the Pearson house on fire. He manages to get his entire family (sans Kevin, who was with Sophie) out of the house and later dies from a heart attack caused by inhaling smoke from the horrific blaze.
- Looks Like Jesus: Especially during the flashbacks to The '70s.
- Mr. Fanservice: Provides the most Shirtless Scenes in the series.
- Nice Guy: He's definitely not perfect, but Jack is generally kind-hearted and good-natured. He does have a deeply hidden but intense jealous side and is a relapsed alcoholic. Before he met Rebecca, he was about to rob a bar after its owner beat him up for winning a poker game.
- Odd Name Out: Kevin, Kate, Rebecca, Randall, and... Jack.
- Off the Wagon: He resumed drinking after staying sober for ten years.
- The Patriarch: Of the Pearson family. His role is magnified greatly by his early death, but he's notable in making a conscious effort to break the cycle of bad fathers in his family.
- Porn Stache:Toby: I saw a picture of the man and said his mustache made him look like a 70s porn star. I thought she was gonna deck me.
- Posthumous Character: Died in The '90s, when the kids were teens. While he's not featured in any of the present-day segments, his presence is deeply felt throughout.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He served as a mechanic in Vietnam and had trouble readjusting to normal life until he met Rebecca. Having his estranged and abusive alcoholic father back in the picture didn't help and he was considering turning to crime to make ends meet. His brother, who served with him, was among the many permanently suffering negative effects because of the war.
- Shrouded in Myth: After his death, Jack becomes (in Beth's words) "untouchable." The family refuses to talk about his flaws (re: his alcoholism) and he is idealized to a standard that anyone joining the family feels pressure to try to live up to.
- Time-Passage Beard: His facial hair changes from a full beard, to a mustache, to a goatee during the decades. If the kids aren't shown, a look at Jack's facial hair is an immediate marker of what point in time a flahback is set.
- The Vietnam Vet: Served the U.S. military during The Vietnam War, as detailed in Shell-Shocked Veteran above.
- Workaholic: 1990s Jack starts spending more time at work while also trying to keep an eye on the kids while Rebecca tries to resume her singing career.
Rebecca Pearson (née Malone)
- Portrayed by Mandy Moore
The mother of the Big Three, formerly Jack's wife, currently married to Miguel. A former singer from a wealthy family. A loving mother to all three children, she clearly favored her adopted son Randall, which is the source of a lot of tension between the kids.
- Actor Allusion: Besides also being a singer, Rebecca's rejection as a singer and being deemed "Pittsburgh-good" is a more extreme version of what Mandy Moore herself experienced as a young singer. While Moore did get a record deal and see some mainstream success, her launching her career in the era of mega-stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson always put her in the position of being the second-tier version of bigger stars. Her albums were generally poorly reviewed, and some of her secondary singles weren't even released in the U.S.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: She's approachable, but she has quite a defensive aura in her.
- Despair Event Horizon: The state of mind she hits when she learns Jack dropped dead. Hearing her say she has to go ruin the rest of her kids' lives with total calm and bitterness pierces the soul.
- Family Versus Career: Before she met Jack, she was going to open mics and sending demo tapes to studios in hopes of launching a singing career. Her friends thought she was strange for wanting to pursue a career instead of settling down. This became part of the strain in her and Jack's marriage when the kids were teens because she wanted to do something for herself for a change and Jack had trouble understanding.
- Good Parents: She loves her children and will do anything for them, although her relationships with the kids have become strained in adulthood (Kate's weight, Randall's search for his biological parents, and Kevin's career).
- Happily Married: In the past, she and Jack had a loving relationship, although not without its flaws. Her present marriage to Miguel is similarly close and supportive.
- Jerkass Ball: Her treatment of William and Kate in season one is at great variance with her overall character, mostly as a way to create conflict.
- Parents as People: Before they had the kids, she previously expressed misgivings about having children. She's not a bad mother, but her Mama Bear instincts to protect her children has the inadvertent side effect of straining her relationships with them as adults. She means well in keeping William out of Randall's life because of his drug addiction, but made the mistake of not letting him know sooner, confessing that she was just too afraid of losing him. She tries to help Kate with her self-esteem and Weight Woe, but sometimes it's not what Kate wants to hear. And, as season 2 reveals, her attention to Kate and Randall, and belief that she didn't need to worry about Kevin, hurt him far more than she knew in the long run.
- Uptown Girl: Rebecca comes from a wealthy, well-established family while Jack's origins are distinctly blue collar and he himself is a handyman and a war vet. This causes an enormous amount of tension in the early stages of their relationship, as Rebecca's parents are certain she could do better.
Kevin Pearson
- Portrayed by Justin Hartley (Adult), Logan Shroyer (ages 16–22), Parker Bates (ages 9–12), and Kaz Womack (ages 3–6)
The oldest of the Big Three, Kevin is a celebrated actor on the In-Universe sitcom "The Man-ny". Handsome, charming, and successful to the outside world, Kevin is consumed by the desire to be taken seriously as an actor. His derailed football career and lingering belief that he was neither parent's favorite child cause him to deal struggle an immense amount of self-loathing, which he tends to take out on the rest of his family.
- Affirmative-Action Legacy: His replacement/successor in "The Man-ny" role is African-American, which triggers his insecurities regarding Randall.
- Best Known for the Fanservice: His main Story Arc is him trying to shake off his status as a Mr. Fanservice actor and prove that he can be a serious one.
- The Charmer: Very charming and personable as shown when seen interacting with the neighbours.
- Chick Magnet: He has three Love Interests in the first season alone, and several more in later seasons before seemingly settling down with Madison for a season, and ultimately with Sophie.
- Childhood Friend Romance: His ex-wife was a childhood friend of him and Kate.
- Cool Uncle: To Tess and Annie.
- Creator Breakdown: In-Universe. His storyline kicks off after getting fired from having a meltdown on the set of his show over his frustrations of not being taken seriously as an actor.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Mr. Fanservice character type. Being regularly used as one has made him sick of his job.
- Descent into Addiction: His Game-Breaking Injury lead him to rely on pain killers to cope with the knee injury, but it's soon clear that he's addicted to them and has been calling various doctors to get more prescriptions.
- Everyone Loves Blondes: A Rare Male Example. He's a noted Mr. Fanservice actor.
- First Love: Sophie. Kevin had a crush on her when they were kids, and they were boyfriend & girlfriend for most of their teenage years before getting married within a year of their high school graduation. Most of his relationship troubles stem from the fact that he never truly got over her.
- First Girl Wins: He and Sophie reconcile at Kate’s second wedding.
- Friend to All Children: He’s particularly close to his two nieces, quickly bonds with Cassidy’s son whilst they’re sat in a waiting room, and a flashback shows that a large part of the reason The Manny was picked up was Kevin being able to calm down the baby he had to work with to shoot the scene.
- Game-Breaking Injury: He was set for a highly promising football career before a knee fracture. It later threatens his acting career as well.
- Intergenerational Friendship:
- He forms one with William over the course of Season 1.
- Has a very cute one with Tess and Annie.
- It's All About Me: He usually means well when talking to Kate and Randall, but his ego sometimes gets in the way because of his lingering feelings about not getting enough attention from their parents.
- Mr. Fanservice: Always asked to do a Shirtless Scene. His resentment over being typecast in this way defines his professional life after he leaves his Star-Making Role.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: His time-shifted actors are upgraded to main cast status starting Season 2.
- The Resenter: Resentful and jealous of the amount of affection and attention his parents lavished on Randall.
- Sibling Rivalry: With Randall. The two were fierce rivals throughout childhood owing to mutual resentments and incompatible personalities. It's cooled down a bit in adulthood, but hasn't gone away.
- The Unfavorite: In his mind, he's always felt left out by the amount of attention that Randall and Kate received from their parents than he did.
Kate Pearson
- Portrayed by Chrissy Metz (Adult), Hannah Zeile (ages 16–22), Mackenzie Hancsicsak (ages 9–12), and Isabella Rose Landau (ages 3–6)
The middle triplet, Kate took her father's death the hardest, which caused her to abandon her dreams of a music career and put on a significant amount of weight. At the start of the show, she is Kevin's personal assistant and attending a weight loss support group, in a serious funk due to having no accomplishments of her own by her 36th birthday. Kate's relationship with her mother is complicated, but improves markedly over the course of the series.
- Amicable Exes: She and Toby become this eventually, when he calls her on the day of her second wedding. This sticks, as we see when they go to Jack’s concert in the future.
- Big Beautiful Woman: Toby finds her attractive, although she's self-conscious about it. Later, Philip finds her attractive as well, and the two have a whirlwind romance.
- Convenient Miscarriage: When she falls pregnant in Season 2, she suffers a miscarriage. After some time and treatments, she is able to carry her son Jack to term in season 3.
- Daddy's Girl: Admits that she felt closer to her father than her mother, and keeps his ashes on her mantel. She also blames herself for his death.
- Emo Teen: She was really into Weezer, wore dark clothes, and her brothers have poked fun at her heavy eyeliner use.
- Generation Xerox: She inherits her mother’s ability to sing. Her son carries on the tradition, making a rather successful music career.
- Happily Married: To Toby. After divorcing Toby, she marries Philip to the same effect.
- It's All About Me: She has an unfortunate habit of twisting bad situations into her own personal melodrama, and can be vicious to the people around her, even Toby, who worships her. Randall calls her on this early in season 5. We later see that this developed as a teenager, as beating herself up about her dad's death caused her to live inside her own head for much of her adult life.
- It's All My Fault: She blames herself for Jack's death because when the house caught fire, he went back inside to save her dog.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Her time-shifted actors are upgraded to main cast status starting Season 2.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: A rare Big Beautiful Woman variant.
- Second Love: She ultimately ends up Happily Married to Phillip after divorcing Toby.
- Stepford Smiler: While discussing the risks of gastric bypass, she blindsides Rebecca with the revelation that she's on Prozac for depression.
- Weight Woe: Her desire to lose weight forms much of her character arc. Downplayed as the series goes on, however; in later seasons, her arc becomes more generally about feeling comfortable in her own skin.
Randall Pearson
- Portrayed by Sterling K. Brown (Adult), Niles Fitch (ages 16–22), Lonnie Chavis (ages 9–12), and Caron Coleman (ages 3-6)
The last of the Big Three, Randall was left at a fire station by his father on the same day Jack and Rebecca lost the last of their set of triplets, resulting in him being adopted to fill the void in their lives. Randall is intelligent and responsible, but burdened by clinical anxiety and severe identity issues due to being abandoned as a baby. He reconnects with his birth father at the start of the series, which strains his relationship with his mother, who favored him as a kid.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: He tends to see himself as the only one who can solve the family's problems, which leads to conflict with Kevin and Kate. It also causes him to suffer from crippling anxiety which has more than once led to a nervous breakdown.
- Black and Nerdy: Randall fits this to a tee. He was an extremely serious student in school and throughout college, and his love of science is remarked upon by both his teachers and his family. As an adult, he makes a good living in weather trading, a field so obscure that Randall is the only person he knows who finds it interesting.
- Endearingly Dorky: He's a big dork and an embarrassment to his daughters, but also a super nice guy. It's later revealed that what attracted Randall to Beth was that her father had a very similar personality.
- Happily Adopted: Played With, while he was happy with the childhood and life he had that Jack and Rebecca gave him, he did always wonder about his origins and questions about his biological parents. A great deal of his angst in later seasons is attempting to discover his family history and coming to terms with the lengths Rebecca went to hide them from him.
- Happily Married: His relationship with Beth is stable and supportive, and she reasons with him when he's distressed.
- Nice Guy: A trait he seems to have inherited from both of his fathers. Randall is constantly kind, understanding, and along with his perfectionism just can’t stop helping people.
- The Perfectionist: His overwhelming need to be absolutely perfect at everything nearly breaks him as he starts to have a nervous breakdown.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: His time-shifted actors are upgraded to main cast status starting Season 2.
- Replacement Sibling: He feels like he serves as one to the dead third Pearson child, although Jack has always reassured him that he's still his son nonetheless. Ironically, it's Randall who takes the most after Jack when he reaches adulthood.
- Sibling Rivalry: With Kevin. Kevin resented Randall's talent and the attention their parents gave him, while Randall resented feeling like Kevin was their only "real" son. They also butt heads constantly because of their polar opposite personalities and lifepaths.
- Token Minority: To the Pearsons, who are Caucasians.
- Workout Fanservice: Shows his Mr. Fanservice credentials during his workout sessions.
Nicky Pearson
Jack’s younger brother who served in Vietnam, cut off by Jack due to a horrible accident and misunderstanding, and who is eventually allowed back into the family after his nephew Kevin locates him.
- Adorkable: Awkward and nerdy, but cute.
- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: In a moment of rage and pain, he throws a chair through a window while intoxicated and is arrested. He ends up being bailed out of jail, but is faced with a possible punishment of ten years in prison. Luckily, the judge gives him a lighter sentence if he promises to not reoffend and to stay in therapy.
- The Alcoholic: Turned into this for nearly five decades before his nephew got him treatment.
- Anywhere but Their Lips: After an awkward dinner where he finally reconnects with Sally, Nicky realizes it is time to go and move on with his life. Despite her being married, he kisses her on the cheek before leaving.
- Beard of Sorrow: He developed a bushy beard after returning from Vietnam, and his PTSD is what gave the sorrow.
- Black Sheep: Was noticeably different from his endearing and handsome brother Jack, and seemed to be a stronger target for their father’s abuse. He was estranged from the rest of the Pearson family for many decades.
- Cool Uncle: Shown to be this to Kevin. Later, he becomes this with Kevin’s twins. In “Us”, he also plays pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with the other kids in the family, suggesting he shares a similar relationship with them.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Nicky’s father was an abusive alcoholic, and his mother was unable to stop it. Nicky also caused the accidental death of a child, and witnessed other horrors during the Vietnam War. As a result, Nicky developed PTSD and alcoholism until he received help.
- Descent into Addiction: Nicky began drug usage while he was a medic in Vietnam. Jack sobered him up, but then Nicky became traumatized over the death of the child on the boat, and turned entirely to addiction once he was discharged. This time, he chose alcohol to self soothe.
- Death Faked for You: After the incident where the Vietnamese boy died from a grenade, Jack was furious and later told everyone that Nicky died in the war rather than admit the truth.
- Dirty Old Man: Shown in “One Giant Leap”, “Heart And Soul”, and “The Night Before the Wedding.”
- Draft Dodging: This almost occurred after Nicky’s birthday was called during the 1969 draft lottery. Jack attempted to smuggle him to Canada, but Nicky decided to go to Vietnam despite his fears and objections against the war.
- First Girl Wins: Averted. Nicky does track down Sally, his love interest from before Vietnam, but she has remarried and barely remembers him (even though she keeps a photo of him up). On the plane ride home, he meets flight attendant Edie, who he ends up marrying.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: As if being hidden away in a trailer for fifty years weren’t bad enough, Nicky is already old as is and struggles with modern technology. He does not know what a Zoom video-call is, or how to use Amazon until Cassidy helps him navigate it. Later, he seems to grasp things a lot better.
- Grumpy Old Man: Nicky generally keeps to himself and has a good heart deep down, but comes off cranky. He is not afraid to speak his mind when necessary, and makes a lot of quips at the expense of others.
- Happily Married: He and Edie appear content and very much in love in the future.
- The Hermit: After returning from Vietnam, he chose to live in an isolated trailer by himself for fifty years.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Nicky attends a ceremony with Kevin and insists he needs “ten beers” to get through it, but claims he’s joking. He then states he prefers whisky.
- Interrupted Suicide: After Nicky is relocated, he finds out that Jack died assuming he purposely killed a child. Dealing with this fact and having to relive so many painful memories at once, he insists his niece and nephews leave his home, and they return later to find him sitting at his table with a gun, likely moments before he uses it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: See above. Though he often seems irritable, Nicky is also shown to be quite loving and attentive to the needs of others.
- Looks Like Jesus: Very much in his youth.
- Meet Cute: Nicky meets his girlfriend and future wife on a flight. They encounter each other as passenger and flight attendant and have an unexpected, flirty exchange.
- Nerd Glasses: Nicky wore very thick glasses when he was young. As an older adult, he started wearing aviator frames.
- Nervous Tics: Due to PTSD, Nicky often tapped his fingers in a fearful and overwhelmed manner before he finally sought therapy.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Starting Season 4.
- Seriously Scruffy: Besides his facial hair, the hair on his head is often unkempt (until later seasons, when he appears to comb it more often), and his trailer is a mess due to his inability to take care of himself properly.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Develops severe addiction and mental health issues due to his stint in Vietnam.
- Sweet Tooth: A variant of this trope is shown when Nicky attends an AA meeting with Kevin. He claims he has a “salt” tooth after drinking, and is seen with a plate of salty snacks as the meeting begins.
- Verbal Tic: Often stumbles/stutters while talking when nervous.
- The Vietnam Vet: Fought in The Vietnam War along with Jack.
- Wild Hair: Before getting drafted, Nicky had long hair, typical of many men in the hippie circle. During the Vietnam War, everything was shaved off.
- You Need to Get Laid: Not directly stated, but implied. A stressed Kevin tells Nicky to stop acting like a “jackass” for calling out his relationship with Madison. Later, Nicky apologizes and expresses frustration about his lack of a love life. This trope could also apply to Nicky obsessively trying to track down Sally for the last two seasons of the show.
Love interests
Miguel Rivas
- Portrayed by Jon Huertas
- Ambiguously Evil: At least early on, Kevin and Randall don't like him and he was a bad influence to Jack back in the day. Later seasons show his more positive traits and he's seen getting along at least somewhat better with them.
- The Bro Code: Marries his late friend's widow, something that greatly annoys his kids — particularly Kevin.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Starting Season 2.
- Romancing the Widow: Married Rebecca after Jack died, although after having fallen out of touch for years.
- Satellite Character: Was this for most of the series, and somehow did not receive more development until the very last season.
- Second Love: For Rebecca, after Jack's death. She's also this for Miguel himself, after his first marriage crashed and burned.
- Toxic Friend Influence: In flashbacks, he's constantly showing to Jack that he cheats, even implying that he's trying to influence him do the same thing. He improves immensely after the two divorce, and the two later suggest that it was simply a mismatch.
Sophie Inman
- Portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge, Amanda Leighton (teenager)
Kevin's childhood sweetheart and formerly Kate's best friend. Married Kevin shortly after high school, their divorce shattered her friendship with Kate and haunts Kevin well into adulthood.
- Best Friends-in-Law: Season 6 reveals Kate and Sophie were this, referring to each other as Thelma and Louise. Kate learned about Kevin's cheating right before Sophie did which drove a wedge between them and ended their friendship. The two ultimately reconcile before Kate's engagement to Phillip.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Ex-wife of Kevin and was childhood friends with both him and Kate.
- Commuting on a Bus: She first appears in Season 1 and is (at least in billing) a series regular in Season 2. After Season 2, she makes at least once appearance each season, ultimately returning in the end of Season 6 for a longer arc, culminating in her being the one Kevin ends up with.
- First Girl Wins: She is Kevin's romantic endgame and wife in the flash-forwards.
- New Old Flame: She's Kevin's First Love and ex-wife and they're having a Secret Relationship as of Season 1.
- Only One Name: Her last name (and whether or not it's Pearson) is never revealed.
- It’s ultimately revealed via flashback in Season 6!
- Promoted to Opening Titles: Starting Season 2.
- Red Herring: She changes her phone number in Season 5, hinting that her relationship with Grant may have fallen apart. However, when she returns in Season 6, they are seemingly Happily Married.
- Statuesque Stunner: She's a tall and gorgeous woman.
- Third-Option Love Interest: Played With. Sophie is Kevin's First Love (and wife), but she's the last of Kevin's love interests introduced to the audience (at least during Season 1).
Olivia Maine
- Portrayed by Janet Montgomery
A beautiful but emotionally aloof actress who co-stars with Kevin in his first attempt at stage work.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: She's naturally a brunette but has her hair dyed blonde. She's also very rude, very blunt, and very hot.
- Alpha Bitch: She's very arrogant and looks down on Kevin during their first meeting as he did not have a classical theater background.
- Betty and Veronica: She was the Veronica to Sloane's Betty over Kevin's Archie.
- Girl of the Week: She was a love interest for Kevin in season one.
- Statuesque Stunner: She's tall and a hottie. Too bad she's also...
- Tall, Dark, and Snarky: She's tall, rude and blunt.
Sloane Sandburg
- Portrayed by Milana Vayntrub
An aspiring playwright, she wrote the play that Oliva and Kevin co-star in. Kevin's attraction to her strains their professional relationship.
- Alliterative Name: Sloane Sandburg.
- Amicable Exes: She and Kevin remained friends after their breakup.
- Betty and Veronica: She was the Betty to Olivia's Veronica over Kevin's Archie.
- Brainy Brunette: She's a playwright.
- Girl of the Week: She was a love interest for Kevin in season one.
Cassidy Sharp
- Portrayed by Jennifer Morrison
A former marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. She struggles with substance abuse due to the trauma she experienced overseas, eventually forming a close friendship with Kevin and fellow veteran Nicky.
- Girl of the Week: She was a love interest for Kevin in season 4, and slightly in season 6.
- Distaff Counterpart: Much like Jack, she struggles with PTSD after coming home from a war and ends up turning to alcohol.
- Romantic False Lead: After sleeping with Kevin, she realizes what she really wants is to try and make things work with her husband. Kevin accepts this gracefully. Later, after his relationship with Madison doesn't work out and she is divorced from her husband, Kevin tries to pursue her only to be gently shot down, saying he's chasing "the wrong blonde in the wrong city."
- She is this one more time in “The Night Before the Wedding” thanks to Nicky’s advice to Kevin, but ultimately tells Kevin she’s not his person, and he’s not hers.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: She has tremendous trouble adjusting to family life after coming home, which ends up wrecking her marriage when her son pulls her arm while she's stuck in a flashback and she hits him.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She herself admits she's never cared about most typically "girly" things, but when she caught on her now-husband was going to propose she went out and got a manicure to make it look and feel more special.
- Bungled Suicide: While still coping with PTSD and being a recovering alcoholic, Cassidy goes for a drive one night and gets into an “accident”. Later at the hospital, a doctor makes it clear it was more than that and Nicky catches on to this quickly. Cassidy later confirms that she was tired and kept driving faster.
Madison Simons
- Portrayed by Caitlin Thompson
Kate's best friend, who later becomes romantically involved with Kevin. First introduced as a comic relief character woefully out of place in Kate's support group, it turns out her problems run far deeper than are initially apparent.
- Adorkable: As her character develops more she subverts the dumb blonde stereotype and reveals herself to be an excitable fan of sci-fi with a similar biting, pop culture reference-heavy style of humor to the rest of the cast.
- All There in the Manual: The show wiki states that her last name is Simons and that she works at a bank, but neither of those are ever mentioned on the show.
- Amicable Exes: She and Kevin are this five years into the future at Kate's wedding. She even teams up with Beth to find out who Kevin spent the night before the wedding with.
- Dumb Blonde: Downplayed, but she does have a few moments of ditziness and social unawareness. Her fussing over the donut assortment she brought to the hospital when Kate goes into premature labor, and the rest of the family is more concerned with Kate and the baby's lives stands out.
- As the series goes on, she does reveal some Hidden Depths and some of her ditzier moments are revealed to be more of a Stepford Smiler trait than anything. This includes her behaviour at Kate's labour, which is rooted largely in keeping things positive and keeping people's minds off the toxic "What ifs."
- Best Friends-in-Law: She's Kate's best friend, and is engaged to Kevin.
- Ultimately averted as she marries Elijah, but remains very close to the family through her kids.
- Fire-Forged Friends: She and Kate have this dynamic, as they bond through being part of the same support group and confessing their weight troubles to one another.
- Girl of the Week: She is a current new love interest for Kevin in season five.
- Grew a Spine: Her breaking off the engagement with Kevin is this, after years of feeling like she has to settle for the first guy who shows interest in her.
- No Last Name Given: According to the show wiki, her last name is Simons, but this is never stated in the show.
- Parental Abandonment: Her mother left the family when she was young, leaving her only with an emotionally distant father.
- Romantic False Lead: After a season and a half of going back and forth with Kevin, she ultimately ends up marrying and having another child with a man who sincerely loves her.
- Sixth Ranger: To the main Pearson clan, as she appears at events such as Kate's wedding or baby Jack's first birthday through her friendship with Kate. The rest of the family sees her as something of a casual acquaintance at best. Lampshaded when Randall calls her "the only friend in our family".
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: After Sophie, she's the second blonde best friend of Kate to enter a relationship with Kevin.
- Weight Woe: She's struggled with bulimia since she was a teenager, and attends Kate and Toby's support group despite being much thinner than the other attendees.
Toby Damon
- Portrayed by Chris Sullivan
A computer programmer Kate meets in her weight loss support group. His irreverent, larger-than-life personality and propensity for dumb jokes quickly wins Kate over, and the two are together for most of the series.
- Amicable Exes: He and Kate eventually become this, once he realizes she was right about their divorce. By the time their son Jack is an adult, Kate and Toby seem to be on great terms, as well as their respective spouses.
- Big Fun: Wins Kate over with his wisecracking jokes. Interestingly, he becomes somewhat less fun as he leans down.
- Dark and Troubled Past: In his prepubescent years, his parents were always fighting. In adulthood, he was emotionally abused to the point of attempting suicide by his ex-wife and still struggles with depression.
- Happily Married: To Laura, the parfait girl, once he and Kate get divorced
- Heroic BSoD: He decides to stop taking his antidepressants to ensure that the IVF works so Kate can be pregnant. As a result his depression kicks in.
- Nice Guy: He's always loving, patient and supporting to Kate.
- Sad Clown: He's less silly as he becomes more comfortable in his own skin. He reveals that his goofiness was a way of dealing with feeling like a fat loser, something that Kate struggles with as someone who fell in love with said goofiness.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: His ex-wife is a good-looking woman who owns a boutique. However, Toby divorced her because she treated him like crap.
- And, even though Kate is very heavy, it's important to note that Toby positively worships Kate and sees her as the hottest woman in the world, regardless of her size.
- This is then inverted in Season 4, when he is shown to have clearly lost a lot of weight and become much more conscious of his diet, and Kate feels like she can't measure up to the newly "hot" Toby.
- He and Kate ultimately get divorced, and he ends up married to another woman who looks very similar to his first ex-wife, meeting her in a cafe line with a cheesy parfait joke.
- And, even though Kate is very heavy, it's important to note that Toby positively worships Kate and sees her as the hottest woman in the world, regardless of her size.
Philip
- Portrayed by Chris Geere
- Hidden Depths: He initially comes across as snobby and cold, but he has a genuine appreciation of Kate's talents, despite her lack of qualifications. His outward coldness is an emotional self-defense.
- No Full Name Given: His last name is not revealed.
- Second Love: He becomes Kate’s second husband in the future.
- Stuffy Brit: His lack of emotional range is a source of comic relief. At least, until he reveals it's a coping mechanism for the death of his first wife.
Beth Pearson
- Portrayed by Susan Kelechi Watson
Randall's wife, whom he met as a student at Carnegie Mellon. A tough, no-nonsense woman who grounds Randall, she nevertheless is an extremely supportive and loving wife and mother. She abandoned a dream of being a ballet dancer shortly before she and Randall met, and is now an urban planner.
- Brutal Honesty: One of her defining character traits. When Kevin is staying at Randall's and her house, Randall wants him to leave but Can't Spit It Out so Beth just cuts him off with, "When you leavin'?"
- Happily Married: Her relationship with Randall is stable, supportive and she reasons with him when he's distressed.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: She was recruited into an elite dance academy at a young age, and spent the rest of her school years on the track to becoming a professional ballerina. However, her distraction due to her dad's illness and eventual death caused her to be passed over for the lead in the academy's senior showcase, leading to her mother convincing her to leave the dance world behind and pursue a corporate career. This left a lasting mark on her in the present, and eventually brings her to open a dance school of her own.
- Meaningful Rename: She went by her full name, Bethany, as a child and into her teen years. After giving up ballet and starting college, she starts going by Beth, marking her transition into adulthood as well as the change in her life's direction.
- Sassy Black Woman: Beth does have some moments where she gets sassy.
- Secret-Keeper: Reluctantly. When she learns about Rebecca and William's connection, she tells Rebecca that Randall needs to know, or she will tell him. Rebecca promises to tell him but he finds out beforehand anyway.
- Unconfessed Unemployment: Beth gets laid off her job earlier in the third season, and struggles to tell Randall. She does tell him and he invited her to be a part of his campaign to be an alderman. She keeps the secret from her mother for months.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: Well, wife. After William slips that Rebecca knows about him and is keeping it from Randall, she nearly goes ballistic.
Sally Brooks
- Portrayed by Dey Young (old), Genevieve Angelson (young)
The former girlfriend of Nicky Pearson, an itinerant hippie who worked with him at a vet clinic. Their relationship was derailed when Nicky chose not to follow her to Woodstock, instead staying behind to take care of his family.
- Hippie Van: She lived in one of these during the 1960s, and named it “Pearl”.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Sally is very eccentric, and brings young Nicky out of his shell. She has a quirky personality.
- Granola Girl: Sally was a proud hippie back in the ‘60s. She did not conform, was sexually liberated, and went to Woodstock. She was spiritual, and very open-minded.
- Astrologer: Shown to be interested in zodiac signs, even asking Jack if he’s a cancer despite knowing little about him.
- Camera Fiend: While young and dating Nicky, she is often seen with a camera in her grasp. She was such a photographer, that he later bought her a special camera as a gift before their reunion.
- Stood Up: Though Nicky did not do this nefariously, he did not go with her to Woodstock or California as they planned. He was too busy trying to keep his mother safe, so she left without him, and their relationship ended.
- Bourgeois Bohemian: Despite being an upper middle class baby boomer alongside her husband Eric, Sally still seems to hold onto her old beliefs from her hippie days.
- Really Gets Around: Eric states that Sally “defoliated much of the Northeast”, and we are shown pictures on her wall that contain many mens’ photos, Nicky’s included. She also took Nicky’s virginity.
- Awful Wedded Life: A much more mellow example than most, but it is clear that Sally and Eric have marital issues and that she feels undesired by him.
Edie
- Portrayed by Vanessa Bell Calloway
- Meet Cute: She meets Nicky while he is on his way home during a flight. Despite some mild hostility, they have a flirtatious exchange, signaling a romance.
- The Tease: Almost immediately as they meet, Edie teases Nicky in a way that can be viewed as sexual, saying she’s lucky she brought her duct tape if he’s going to be a problem.
- Sexy Stewardess: A mild form of this trope.
- No Full Name Given: Her last name is never revealed.
- Older Than They Look: Edie’s true age isn’t revealed, though it’s assumed she’s at least approaching her elderly years when she and Nicky first meet. She has a very youthful look despite being an older woman.
- Serial Spouse: Edie married and divorced three times before meeting Nicky and eventually marrying him.
- Married to the Job: Somewhat implied by Edie in “Heart And Soul”. She remarks that she was married three times, but that the marriages never stuck because of her work schedule. She appears to take her job seriously, and in a future scene where the Pearson family gathers to comfort a dying Rebecca, she is shown arriving later than some of the others. When she and Nicky reunite, it is implied she was on a work trip due to them saying they missed each other.
- Sassy Black Woman: Generally, this trope is avoided with her character, though she has moments where she is quite witty.
- Erotic Eating: Possibly hinted at in “The Night Before the Wedding”, as Nicky is eager to fetch a bucket of ice while Edie stays in their hotel room. He approaches Kevin and Cassidy in the hallway, exclaiming that he and Edie want to “try”something, though they won’t let him explicitly state what it is.
Laurel Dubois
Randall's birth mother, from an upper class family in Louisiana. Believed to have died of a drug overdose the day of Randall's birth, she was revived by paramedics and hauled off to jail for child endangerment. She failed to reconnect with Randall before his death, not willing to re-enter her son's life as an ex-felon.
Jessie
- Portrayed by Denis O'Hare
- Amicable Exes: He and William remained friends after their breakup.
- Only One Name: His last name is never revealed.
- Straight Gay: He's William's former romantic partner.
Malik Hodges
- Portrayed by Asante Blackk
Extended Family
Stanley Pearson
- Portrayed by Peter Onorati
- Alcoholic Parent: Stanley starts drinking at some point during Jack and Nicky’s childhood, seemingly continuing until it kills him in their adulthood.
- The Alcoholic: See above.
- Domestic Abuse: He is shown to be a violent drunk. Though he isn’t shown beating his sons, it is implied he does so as his kids are petrified of him, and at one point, Jack has to shield his little brother with his body during a tense moment. Later, Marilyn’s face is shown covered in bruises when she answers the door, and an adult Jack ends up moving her out for her safety.
- The Generation Gap: Stanley and his two sons seem to have severely contrasting beliefs. Both Jack and Nicky have respect for women and do not abuse them or see them as “less”, and Nicky is a borderline hippie in his youth. In one instance, Stanley calls Nicky “Jack’s sister”, presumably for being meek, having long hair, and not adhering to the typical “manly” stereotypes from his father’s generation.
Marilyn Pearson
- Portrayed by Laura Niemi
- Housewife: As a mother and wife during the ‘40s–‘70s, she naturally fits this role.
- Domestic Abuse: A victim of this, as she and Stanley are often seen fighting during their marriage. As the abuse progresses, a scene shows an older Marilyn with bruises all over her face, indicating she is beaten by Stanley.
Dave Malone
- Portrayed by Tim Matheson
Janet Malone
- Portrayed by Danielle Langlois (season one), Elizabeth Perkins (present)
- My Beloved Smother: Overbearing toward Rebecca
- Straw Misogynist: Imposes ideas on Rebecca that she must remain thin, a housewife, etc. in order to please a husband.
- Racist Grandma: Noticeably excludes Randall for being not only adopted, but black. She is not fully direct about her racism, but Rebecca calls her out on her micro-aggressions.
- Sudden Name Change: Originally named “Dorothy” in season one and was even played by a different actress entirely.
William Hill
- Portrayed by Ron Cephas Jones (old), Jermel Nakia (young)
Randall's birth father. A poet, a writer, and a musician, William was struggling with heroin addiction when Randall was born, causing him to abandon Randall in hopes of a better life. Brought into Randall's home while they reconnect, William spends the first season enriching the Pearson's lives while simultaneously dying of stomach cancer. He named Randall for radical poet Dudley Randall.
- And Starring: In the opening credits.
- Disappeared Dad: He was absent from Randall's life until adulthood.
- Hereditary Homosexuality: William himself is bisexual and his granddaughter Tess is LGBT.
- Intergenerational Friendship: He forms one with Kevin over the course of Season 1.
- Posthumous Character: He dies late in Season 1, but Jones remains a regular cast member through flashbacks.
- Twofer Token Minority: He is black and bisexual.
Nicholas “Nick” Pearson
- Portrayed by Brecken Merrill (Teen; 2 episodes), Preston Oliver (Teen; 2 episodes), Kellan Tetlow (Child)
- Ancestral Name: Skipped by a generation, and not fully direct, but Nick was named after his great-uncle Nicky.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Shown in a future scene when the family is gathering to pay respects to an ailing Rebecca.
Frances “Franny” Pearson
- Portrayed by Jasper Mc Pherson (Teen), Callie Carlin Ogden (child)
- Ancestral Name: She was named after Madison’s grandmother.
- Cheerful Child: Shown to be bubbly and energetic.
Jack Damon
Jack Damon
- Portrayed by Blake Stadnik (Adult), Johnny Kincaid (Toddler)
- Blind Musician: He has the same musical talent as his mother and grandmother, and is even far more of a professional success at it.
- Disabled Character, Disabled Actor: Blake Stadnik really is blind.
- Generation Xerox: Besides the musical talent, he also follows in Jack's footsteps in doing everything he can to support his wife's dream even as a surprise pregnancy interferes with their plans, plus his first appearance being a surprise time period revealed at the episode's end.
- 20 Minutes into the Future: Season 4 includes a subplot with him as an adult, seemingly some time in the 2040s.
- Walking Spoiler: Even giving his name is pushing things for someone at the start of the show.
Hailey Rose Damon
- Portrayed by Adelaide Kane
Toby and Kate's adopted daughter and Jack Damon's younger sister
- Happily Adopted: By Toby and Kate.
- 20 Minutes into the Future: She is also seen in flashforwards to the 2040s, joining her brother on the day of his child's birth.
Tess Pearson
- Portrayed by Eris Baker
- Butch Lesbian: Tess embraces a more androgynous style after coming out to her parents, although she appears to move away from this style as an adult.
- Cool Big Sis: Annie looks up to her from day one.
- First Period Panic: In season 3, Tess has her first period. She freaks out when Toby sees her carrying a box with tampons and pantyliners.
- Gayngst: The realization of being gay starts making her feel depressed and she isolates herself from her family. She eventually comes out to her parents.
- Gaydar: In Season 1, Tess is able to figure out that her grandfather William is bisexual and clues Randdall in.
- Hereditary Homosexuality: Tess's grandfather William is bisexual and she herself is LGBT.
- Lipstick Lesbian: By the time she is an adult in her mid-twenties, she has a much more feminine appearance.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Starting Season 2.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: As the series goes on and Tess becomes more opinionated and passionate, she is the red to Annie's blue.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: At Kevin's (almost-)wedding, once she wears a version of her bridesmaid dress that suits her style, looks positively glowing.
- Twofer Token Minority: Is black and a lesbian.
Annie Pearson
- Portrayed by Faithe Herman
Randall and Beth's youngest daughter.
- Cheerful Child: Is introduced as a gentle, sweet girl and pretty much stays that way into her tween years and even as an adult.
- Generation Xerox: Has Randall's eyes from birth, as well as his sense of humor and pragmatism.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Starting Season 2.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: As the two grow up, Tess becomes more outspoken and clashes with her parents more often, while Annie remains the blue to Tess's red.
Deja Andrews-Pearson
- Portrayed by Lyric Ross
A young girl who is put into Randall and Beth’s care through the foster system. She is adopted by the Pearsons after her mother voluntarily relinquishes her parental rights.
- Dark and Troubled Past: She was a result of a teenage pregnancy and was raised by her mother Shauna and her grandmother. The said grandmother died right in front of her when Deja was very young. When Shauna was out, Deja had to go to the hospital by herself when she got cut trying to open a can using a knife, which attracted the attention of social services. Deja and a friend of hers were put in a temporary home of an abusive foster father, who would hit them. Shauna wasn’t able to pay the rent for the apartment, so the two were kicked out and had to live in their car, until Randall and Beth found them after returning from their Vegas trip.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She was initially cold to Randall and Beth, but she eventually warmed up to them.
- Disappeared Dad: Deja never had any idea of who her father was. When Toby’s mother thought that she was Randall’s daughter, she was infuriated and took her frustration out on Randall’s car, using a baseball bat. She eventually does track him down, but doesn't need or want any kind of relationship and just tells him what he's missing out on.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Starting Season 3.
- Teen Pregnancy: She was a result of one, as her mother Shauna was only sixteen when she gave birth to Deja.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: By season 4, she's largely moved past her initial angst, happily joining in on the family's adventures in Philadelphia and becoming a Cool Big Sis to Tess and Annie.
Zoe Baker
- Portrayed By Melanie Liburd
Beth’s photographer and documentarian cousin and Kevin’s girlfriend in Season 3.
- Abusive Parents: Zoe’s dad sexually assaulted her when she was younger.
- The Bus Came Back: Returns briefly in Season 5 to give Kevin pause in his relationship and impending marriage to Madison.
- Cool Aunt: To Tess, Annie and Deja.
- Girl of the Week: She was a love interest for Kevin by the end of season two and throughout season three.
- Happily Adopted: Beth's parents took her in due to her father's abuse of her, and she fit in to their dynamic well. In the present, she is closer with Carol than Beth's other two siblings, accompanying Beth to visit her when Carol breaks her hip, and affectionately calls Beth "sister-cousin."
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Starting Season 3.
- The Stoner: She used to hide marijuana in Beth’s parents house when she was living there. In the present day, she found one of the weed stashes and smoked it with Beth.
Carol "Mama C" Clarke
- Portrayed by: Phylicia Rashad
Beth's mother. An educator from whom Beth inherited most of her toughness.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Due to real-world factors (Phylicia Rashad's support of Bill Cosby), Carol disappears after Season 5, despite agreeing to move in with Beth and her family.
- Cool Old Lady: She's very open and accepting of Tess once she comes out, and shows a much better understanding of her identity and that of her non-binary partner than Beth, who initially struggles with the idea.
- Education Mama: Downplayed, but present. When Beth is passed over for the lead in her dance school's senior showcase, Carol's solution is to present her with a college guide and push her into giving up dance for a more traditional career.
- Iron Lady: She's a high-school principal, and clearly feared as much as she is respected by her students.
- My Beloved Smother: She was one toward Beth and her siblings growing up, with Beth outright stating there was "no air" around her.
Elijah
- Portrayed by Adam Korson
Madison's boyfriend after her engagement with Kevin falls apart. They bond over a shared love of nerdy pursuits, and eventually marry.
- Only One Name: Unknown last name.
